Gas manufacture



March 14, 1933- J. B.' EBERLEIN ET A1. 1,900,958

GAS MANUFACTURE Filed sept. 15. 1924 Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE;

JOHN n. EBERLEIN- AND GEORGE 1a. sannita, onnnrtaoIn MICHIGAN, AssIeNORs, BY

MEsNnAssIGNMENTs, 'ro sEME'r-SOLVAY ENGINEERINGCORPORATION, YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK Gais `MANU'anomalia Application filed' September 15, 1924. Serial No. 737,656.

Itis the customary practicein .the manufacture of water gas to Ause a plant Consisting of a generator, carburetor and super-heater, together with a wash box or seal, through which the gas from the plant passes and which prevents the'return of the' gases oncethey have passed therethrough. i v

Until recent years, it has been the. practice to pass steam vdirectly intothe generator at either the bottom or the topy thereof when making gas, the former instance being called an uprun and the lattera"downrun. It has recently. become customary in .many plants, however, to pass steam directly into the super-heater in order to make what is called a backrun. It is to this latter type of plant that our invention isdirected. ,i

Our construction embodies primarily they positioning of a single swinging valve between the port leading from the superheater to the wash boxand the port leading from the generator to the wash box, so that either of these ports may be closed by the simple movement of this singlevalve at'the same time the other port is opened. Our construction, furthermore, utilizes a swinging valve operated by the same means which operate the first mentioned valve, for directingthe passage of Y* steam ,eitherV through theV superheater'or through the generator. And, further, the blower pipe passageway to the gas plant generator is at certain times utilized as a passageway `forsteam into the generator, asy well as a passageway for gas from thegen'- erator. Y

Among the objects of our invention, there'- fore, are the provision oi. a single valve which may be more quicklyfreversed than two: independent valves, with the consequent reduction in cost because of the smallernumber of valvesused, as well as reduction of time required to open and close the valves; the .constant closing of the backrun line except during that portion of the cycle when backrun gas is being .made with ythe consequentprevention of hydrocarbon vapors backing up into the backI-un line,`condensing out and illing the backrun pipe with a tarry or pitchy deposit; the elimination ofthefposf sibility of onevalve stricking or failing to OF NEW work while anotheris open.; the positive asy surance that steam will v,be directed through the port throughfwhich` it is .intendedto be directed because of the connection of the steam valve with` the main valve; the reduction in the. amount of steam pipe used; vthe provisionr ,of an open passage through the superheater Offtake to the superheater stack cap so as to eliminate any possibilityoffan explosion during the blowing period because of blowing air directly into the holderf; the

`locating of the `main valvedirectly over'the wash box and the supplying of water leading to the wash box .over the valve constantly so as to keep it clean; and the positive closing off of the superheater oitake with the 'wash box. so as to'prevent passage of steam to the wash box during the backrun operation.

With these, and other objects in view, our invention consists of the arrangement, com'- bination and construction of the various parts of ourimproved system as described in the specification claimed in our claims and'shown in the accompanying drawing, in which :V

Fig. l isa side elevation of a gas plantembodied in our invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame. vFig. 3 is a detail view, in elevation Land partly in section, otheniain double acting valve utilized in our invention.k f

`Fig. 4 is a sectionthrough the valve housing showing said valve approximately from the center thereof.` Y

We'have shown a gas plant consisting of a ,tomary uel opening 9 for the generator, oil

spray opening 1.0 f for the carburetor, and stack-,cap 1l for the superheater are shown more'or less diagrammatically,inasmuch as they form no part of our invention.` Suitable connections for the variouselementsare provided as in the conduit 12 leading from the generator to the carburetor, the

`conduit 13 leadingffrom the carburetor to thesuperheater and the offtake conduit 14 leading from' the superheaterthroughthel valve housing l5 into the wash box 8. A

gas Oiitake passage 16 leads romthe wash box 8, to a Agas holder. `A passage leads from the housing l5 through the passage 18 into the bottomof the generator.

Suitably positioned in the housing 15 is a shaft 19, on which is secured a yoke 20 having a flared and rounded seat 21 at approximately the crest of .the yoke. A bolt 22 extends through this seat having the head thejzreof bearing against the inner face of the .Y0 Q- A--pair of separatedV 4plates 23 joined together at approximately their centers by a web having a rounded portion 24, aresecured to the yoke 2O by reason of the bolt 22 extending through the roundedportion24, so,a s

to cause one portion thereof to bear in the seat 21 and the other portion thereof to bearin a seat25provided on the end of the bolt 22 and securedf in place by the nut 26 on the. en d'V of the bolt.` i v Y v One end of the shaft 19 vis provided with a lever 28 connected with a shaft 29. e Arms 30 connect the shaft 29 with a. hydraulic piston contained in the cylinder 31.

It-Will be noted that the aperture through the. portion 24 is of larger diameter at the outer edges thereof than at the,` center so that the bolt 22 bears against thesides of the aperture at substantially one. point only, thus permitting universal movement of the portion 24 and likewise the plates 23. The shank of the bolt 22, between thehead thereofand the portion 24, is of smaller diameter than the remainder of the shank so as to provide a shoulder on the bolt bearing against the. seat 21 to prevent tighteningof the nut 261 to such a degree as to prevent universal movement of the portion' 24.- The shaft 19 is sopositioned in the housing 15that when it is rotated inl one direction, Vone of the. plates 2.3 will. engagethe mouth of the vertical portion of the passageway 14 while .when the shaft is moved in the opposite vdirection the other plate 23will engage the face of thehorizontal portiony of thepassage` 17. Y

For the introductionv of steam into the system, we Vutilize a passage32, which communi- Cates Withthe passages 33 andf34,the passage 33 leading into the passage 14 and the passage 34` leading into the passage 17. Y A double acting valve is positioned at the junctures offthepassages 32, 33and y34 as at 35, and the operation thereof is controlled by means. of a lever 36 attached to theend of the shaft Y29.

Positioned in the housing 15 is a ring'37 connected bythe passageway 38 with a suitable source of water supply.l The ring 37 is l perforated anda constant supply of water is carried therethrough with the result that the plates23 areconstantlybeing supplied with Ywater so VVas to prevent the collection of for.-

eign matter thereon. The excess waterV drips fromthe plates 23 down into the wash box 8 so as to constantly maintain a sufficient supplofwater therein.

" he passage39is utilizedafor. airblasting,

erator and gases are carried from the top of the generator through the passage 12' into the carburetor 6, through the passage 13, into the superheater7, through the ofltake 14 and thehousing 15 into the wash box 8. During thi'so'per'ation the plates 23 are in such position as to close the, housing 15 to the passage 17, as shown in Fig. 1.

- making a ba-ckrun the. hydraulic cylinder 31 is operatedson, as to reverseithe, plates 23 andeclose, thepassage. betwen the housing 15 and the', passage 14 atthe sameti'me closing, through the1 valve, 35,v communication between the passage 32 and 34and: permitting steam entering-the. passage32. to bedirected through the passagey 331 into the ofi'- take 14 from whence it follows; through the superheater 7 the passage 13,. the carburetor 6, the ypassage 12l and thefgeneratior 5 into the passage 18 andl thence'through the` pas.- sage 17 into the housing; 15; andthe Wash box 8,. It will be noted that the passage `18 bypassesthe carburetor andi superheater, that is to, say the passage, 18 does not,y pass through theV carburetor and superheater4 but conductsv the, backrun` water gas from the generator directly to the washv box..

Y It will. be. noted that with the foregoing v construction. all of the. objects mentioned are accomplished and a` highlyfeflicient gas. plant provided.

It is obvious. that various changesmay` be made in` theI arrangement,'combination and construction. of the variousparts of our` improved device without departing fromA the spirit of our-invention, and itis our inten.-

t-ionto1 cover byl our claimssuch. changes as e may be reasonably included within, the scope thereof. V-

What wer claim is:

1. A water gas plantincluding a. single generator and a; single,A superheater, a gas line leading from said generator and; bypassing the superheaten, a gas. line: leading from lsaid: superheater, a. housing into, which both of said lines extend', a, washbox; com..- municatin'g with saidk housing, and. valve mechanism in said housing adaptedv to alternately openlone ofy saidlinesv andaclose the other. f

y 2. carburettedrwater gas :set: comprising a single generator, a single.carburetor,and aV single superheater, the individual; units beingilocated-v in separate andf detached, shells, a gas. line leading directly fromsaidrgenera.- tor andivby-passing the carburetor and superheater, a second Y rgas lineleading directly from Asaid superheater, ahousing ntowhich both of said lines extend, a washbox communicating with said housing, and valve mechanism in said housing adapted to alternately open one of said lines and substantially simultaneously close the other.

3. A watery gas plant, including a single generator, and a single superheater, a gas line leading from said generator, and bypassing thesuperheater, a gas line leading from said superheater, a housing into which both of said lines extend, and a swinging valve in said housing adapted to alternately open one of said lines and close the other.

4. Awater gas plant, including a single generator, and a single superheater, gas outlet lines leading from both said generator and said superheater, said line from the generator by-passing the superheater, a commonv housing into which said lines lead, a steam line leading into both said gas outlet lines, a valve in said steam line adapted to alternately permit the passage of steam into one of said gas outlet lines and prevent passage of steam into the other, anda valve in said housing between the ends of the outlets or' said gas outlet lines adapted to alternately open one and close the other of them.

5. A water gas plant, including a single generator, and a single superheater, gas outlet lines leading from both said generator and said superheater, said line from the generator by-passing the superheater, a common housing into which said lines lead, a steam line leading into both said gas outlet lines, a valve in said steam line adapted to alternately permit the passage of steam into one of said gasoutlet lines and prevent passage of steam into the other and a Valve between the ends of said gas outlet lines adapted to alternately open one and close the other of them, and common actuating means for both said valves.

6. A Water gas plant, including a single generator, a single superheater and a wash box, a gas outlet line leading from said generator to said wash box, and a gas outlet line leading from said superheater to said wash box, and by-passing the superheater, and means operated from a single source of power for alternately opening one of said lines and closing the other, said means consisting of a swinging Valve positioned adjacent the wash boX, and means for supplying water to said wash box, including a spray adapted to Vdispose said water over said Valve.

JOHN B. EBER'LEIN. GEORGE R. STEERE. 

